Method and sending-end device for measuring performance indicator of service flow

Abstract

A method for measuring a performance indicator of a service flow is disclosed. A sending-end device constructs a measurement packet. The measurement packet is used to trigger a receiving-end device to measure the performance indicator of the service flow. A forwarding attribute of the measurement packet is the same as a forwarding attribute of a packet in the service flow. The measurement packet is sent to the receiving-end device.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A method for measuring a performance indicator of a service flow, the method comprising:
 constructing, by a sending-end device, a first measurement packet, wherein the first measurement packet is used to trigger a receiving-end device to measure the performance indicator of the service flow, wherein a forwarding attribute of the first measurement packet is the same as a forwarding attribute of a packet in the service flow, and wherein the first measurement packet carries a first identifier that indicates that the first measurement packet is not a packet in the service flow; and 
 sending, by the sending-end device, the first measurement packet to the receiving-end device; 
 wherein, if the performance indicator is a packet loss ratio, the first measurement packet is used to trigger the receiving-end device to start to count a number of received packets in the service flow; and 
 wherein the method further comprises performing, in response to the performance indicator being the packet loss ratio: 
 constructing, by the sending-end device, a second measurement packet, wherein the second measurement packet is used to trigger the receiving-end device to record the number of received packets in the service flow, wherein a forwarding attribute of the second measurement packet is the same as the forwarding attributes of the packets in the service flow, and wherein the second measurement packet carries a second identifier used to indicate that the second measurement packet is not a packet in the service flow; 
 counting, by the sending-end device within a preset interval, a number of packets in the service flow that are sent to the receiving-end device after the sending-end device sends the first measurement packet to the receiving-end device; and 
 sending, by the sending-end device, the second measurement packet and the number of packets to the receiving-end device when counting of the number of packets is finished; 
 wherein the sending the second measurement packet comprises:
 sending, by the sending-end device, the second measurement packet to the receiving-end device; 
 constructing, by the sending-end device, a first protocol packet, wherein the first protocol packet carries the number of packets and wherein a forwarding attribute of the first protocol packet is different from the forwarding attributes of the packets in the service flow; and 
 sending, by the sending-end device, the first protocol packet to the receiving-end device. 
 
 
     
     
       2. The method according to  claim 1 , wherein, if the performance indicator is a latency, the first measurement packet further carries a timestamp indicating time at which the first measurement packet is sent. 
     
     
       3. The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the method further comprises performing, in response to the performance indicator being a latency;
 constructing, by the sending-end device, a second protocol packet, wherein the second protocol packet carries a timestamp indicating time at which the first measurement packet is sent, and a forwarding attribute of the second protocol packet is different from the forwarding attribute of the packet in the service flow; and 
 sending, by the sending-end device, the second protocol packet to the receiving-end device. 
 
     
     
       4. The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the packet in the service flow comprises a Layer 2 protocol packet. 
     
     
       5. The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the packet in the service flow comprises a Layer 3 protocol packet. 
     
     
       6. The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the first indicator is carried in a header of the first measurement packet in one of an option field, a type field, and a length/type field. 
     
     
       7. The method according to  claim 1 , wherein a forwarding priority of the first measurement packet is determined by a type of service in a header of the first measurement packet, and wherein a value of the type of service in the header of the first measurement packet is the same as a value of a type of service in a header of the packet in the service flow. 
     
     
       8. The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the first measurement packet carries the first identifier further indicates that the first measurement packet is a measurement packet. 
     
     
       9. A sending-end device for measuring a performance indicator of a service flow, the sending-end device comprising a computer including a non-transitory computer-readable medium storing program units executable by the computer, the units including:
 a packet construction unit, configured to construct a first measurement packet, wherein the first measurement packet is used to trigger a receiving-end device to measure the performance indicator of the service flow, wherein a forwarding attribute of the first measurement packet is the same as a forwarding attribute of a packet in the service flow, and wherein the first measurement packet carries a first identifier that indicates that the first measurement packet is not a packet in the service flow; 
 a packet sending unit, configured to send the first measurement packet to the receiving-end device, wherein the first measurement packet is used to trigger the receiving-end device to start to count a number of received packets in the service flow, wherein the packet construction unit is further configured to construct a second measurement packet, wherein, when the performance indicator is a packet loss ratio, the second measurement packet is used to trigger the receiving-end device to record the number of received packets in the service flow, and a forwarding attribute of the second measurement packet is the same as the forwarding attributes of the packets in the service flow, and wherein the second measurement packet carries a second identifier used to indicate that the second measurement packet is not a packet in the service flow; and 
 a counting unit, configured to count, within a preset interval and in response to the performance indicator being the packet loss ratio, a number of packets in the service flow that are sent to the receiving-end device after the sending-end device sends the first measurement packet to the receiving-end device; 
 wherein the packet construction unit is further configured to construct a first protocol packet in response to the performance indicator being the packet loss ratio, wherein the first protocol packet carries the number of packets, and wherein a forwarding attribute of the first protocol packet is different from the forwarding attributes of the packets in the service flow; 
 wherein the packet sending unit is further configured to send the second measurement packet and the first protocol packet to the receiving-end device after the counting unit finishes counting the number of packets and in response to the performance indicator being the packet loss ratio. 
 
     
     
       10. The sending-end device according to  claim 9 , wherein, if the performance indicator is a latency, the first measurement packet further carries a timestamp indicating time at which the first measurement packet is sent. 
     
     
       11. The sending-end device according to  claim 9 ,
 wherein the packet construction unit is further configured to construct a second protocol packet in response to the performance indicator being a latency, wherein the second protocol packet carries a timestamp indicating time at which the first measurement packet is sent, and wherein a forwarding attribute of the second protocol packet is different from the forwarding attribute of the packet in the service flow; and 
 wherein the packet sending unit is further configured to send the second protocol packet to the receiving-end device in response to the performance indicator being a latency. 
 
     
     
       12. The sending-end device according to  claim 9 , wherein the first indicator is carried in a header of the first measurement packet in one of an option field, a type field, and a length/type field; and wherein a forwarding priority of the first measurement packet is determined by a type of service in a header of the first measurement packet, and wherein a value of the type of service in the header of the first measurement packet is the same as a value of a type of service in a header of the packet in the service flow. 
     
     
       13. The sending-end device according to  claim 9 , wherein the first measurement packet carries the first identifier further indicates that the first measurement packet is a measurement packet. 
     
     
       14. A sending-end device for measuring a performance indicator of a service flow, comprising:
 a packet construction unit, configured to construct a first measurement packet, wherein the first measurement packet is used to trigger a receiving-end device to measure the performance indicator of the service flow, wherein a forwarding attribute of the first measurement packet is the same as a forwarding attribute of a packet in the service flow, and wherein the first measurement packet carries a first identifier that indicates that the first measurement packet is not a packet in the service flow; 
 a packet sending unit, configured to send the first measurement packet to the receiving-end device, wherein the first measurement packet is used to trigger the receiving-end device to start to count a number of received packets in the service flow, wherein the packet construction unit is further configured to construct a second measurement packet, wherein, when the performance indicator is a packet loss ratio, the second measurement packet is used to trigger the receiving-end device to record the number of received packets in the service flow, and a forwarding attribute of the second measurement packet is the same as the forwarding attributes of the packets in the service flow, and wherein the second measurement packet carries a second identifier used to indicate that the second measurement packet is not a packet in the service flow; and 
 a counting unit, configured to count, within a preset interval and in response to the performance indicator being the packet loss ratio, a number of packets in the service flow that are sent to the receiving-end device after the sending-end device sends the first measurement packet to the receiving-end device; 
 wherein the packet construction unit is further configured to construct a first protocol packet in response to the performance indicator being the packet loss ratio, wherein the first protocol packet carries the number of packets, and wherein a forwarding attribute of the first protocol packet is different from the forwarding attributes of the packets in the service flow; 
 wherein the packet sending unit is further configured to send the second measurement packet and the first protocol packet to the receiving-end device after the counting unit finishes counting the number of packets and in response to the performance indicator being the packet loss ratio. 
 
     
     
       15. The sending-end device according to  claim 14 , wherein the first indicator is carried in a header of the first measurement packet in one of an option field, a type field, and a length/type field; and wherein a forwarding priority of the first measurement packet is determined by a type of service in a header of the first measurement packet, and wherein a value of the type of service in the header of the first measurement packet is the same as a value of a type of service in a header of the packet in the service flow. 
     
     
       16. The sending-end device according to  claim 14 , wherein the first measurement packet carries the first identifier further indicates that the first measurement packet is a measurement packet.